Cultivator.



S. J. HIGGINS.

OULTIVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED FBB.19,1913.

Patented Mar. 23, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

THE NORRIS PETERS 60., PHOTGLITHOH WASHINGIL/n,

I s. J. HIGGINS.

CULTIVATOR. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 19, 1913.

Patented Mar. 23, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2,

8 n uwnto'a lf/fz fyglffl5 THE NORRIS PETERS ($0., PHOTO-LITHQ. WASHINGTON. D. C

S. J. HIGGINS. GULTIVATOR.

APPLICATION FILED 313.19, 191s.

Patented Mar. 23, 1915.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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' CULTIVATOR.

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Application filed February 19, 1913.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SIDNEY J. HIGGINS, a citizen of the United States, residing at T horsby, in the county of Chilton and State of Alabama, have invented new and useful Improvements in Cultivators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to wheel cultivators, and it has for its object to produce a machine of this class which will possess superior advantages in point of simplicity, durability and general efficiency.

With these and other ends in view which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same con sists in the improved construction and novel arrangement and combination of parts which will be'hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings has been illustrated a simple and preferred form of the invention, it being, however, understood that no limitation is necessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited, but that changes, alterations and modifications within the scope of the claims may be resorted to when desired.

In the drawings,-Figure l is a top plan view of a machine constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation. Fig. 4% is a longitudinal vertical sectional view taken on the line 4& in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional detail view taken on the line 5-5 in Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a perspective detail view of one of the plow carrying head blocks and related parts. Fig. 7 is a perspective detail view illustrating the application of the fender which is used when the machine is employed for cultivating a row of plants. Fig. 8 is a detail rear view with dotted lines showing the different adjustment of the parts.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are denoted by like characters of reference.

The machine includes an arched axle A, the limbs or side members of which, 1, are provided with spindles 2 on which the ground wheels 3 are mounted for rotation. The axle supports a longitudinal center bar 1 which in turn serves to support the transverse front and rear bars 5 and 6, said center bar and cross bars serving together with the axle to constitute the frame structure of the machine.

The cross bars 5 and 6 are provided ad- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 23, 1915.

Serial No. 749,454.

jacent to the ends thereof with vertical slots 7 in which cross heads B are adjustably mounted, each of said cross heads comprising top and bottom members 8 and 9 which are connected by clamping bolts 10 that extend through the slots 7 and serve to clamp the cross heads in adjusted position with respect to the slotted cross bars. Each of the cross heads is provided with downwardly extending guide rods 11 on which a head block 12 is adjustably supported for vertical slidable movement. The head blocks 12 which are all of similar construction are each provided with a rectangular orifice 13, the bottom wall of which has a slot 1d; each head block is also provided adjacent to its upper edge with an overhanging flange 15 having a slot 16. Fulcrumed on each block 12 is a lever 17, the arms of which extend upwardly and downwardly and are guided in the slots 16 and 14:.

Suitably mounted on the axle A. beneath the arch of the sameand adjacent to each limb or side member 1 is a bracket 18. Each bracket 18 is preferably mounted in such fashion as to be laterally adiustable or movable toward and from the limbs 1. In assembling the parts of the machine. these brackets or bearing plates may thus be conveniently mounted in any desired position to cause the parts supported by said brackets to be located in the proper and most advantageous position.

Each of the brackets 18 affords bearings for four rock shafts 19, 19 and 20, 20. said rock shafts being arranged in pairs and one pair of said rock shafts, 19. 20, extend ng forwardly from the bracket or bearing plate. while the other pair, 19. 20, is provided with an upwardly extending arm 21, 22, whereby it mav be rocked or oscillated in its hearing. The shafts 19 have additional hearings in stirrups 23 that depend from the cross heads B, and each of said shafts is provided with a crank 24.- located between the arms of such stirrup. Additional bearings for the shafts 20 are formed by stirrups 25 also associated with and depending from the cross heads 13, and said rock shafts 20 are provided with crank arms 26 having terminal eyes or loops 27 disposed substantially at right angles to said arms. Each of the head blocks 1.2 is provided with an upwardly extending lifting rod 28 pivotally connected therewith which is guided in a keeper 29 on one of the cross bars 5 and 6, v

and each guide rod is provided with an eye or aperture 30 engaged by the crank 24 of one of the rock shafts 19. It follows that by rocking the shafts 19 in their bearings the head blocks 12 may be moved upwardly and downwardly on the guide rods 11.

Each limb or side member 1 of the arched axle is provided with a pair of sockets or bearing members 31, said sockets affording bearings for vertically disposed pintles 32. Associated with each pintle 32 is an arm 33, saidarmsbeing so disposed that one will extend forwardly and the other rearwardly with respect to each limb or side member of the axle, one such shaft being directed toward one of the head blocks 12 and extended through the orifice 13 of such head block. Thearms 33 may be suitably bent, as shown,

in. order that the ends of said arms may be properly located with respect to the head blocks, and the pintles 32 must be of such length as to engage the sockets 31 at various vertical adjustments of the arms, as will be presently seen. When the arms 33 are at the downward limits -of their movements, the pintles 32 will, therefore, extend through and below the bearings or socket members 31. Each of the arms 33 extends through a slot 34in the downwardly extending arm of the. lever'17 pivoted on the head block 12 through the orifice in which such arm extends, a'ndeach of said arms 33 is terminally bent downward to form a standard 35 on which a socket 36 carrying'a plow' 37 is secured by any suitable means, such as a set screw 38; The upwardly extending arm of each lever 17 is guided through the eye or loop 27 at the end of the crank arm 26 of one of the rock shafts 20. It will thus be seen that by rocking the shafts 20, the levers 17 will be actuated to move the arms 33 in anapproximately horizontal plane, thereby effecting lateral adjustment of the plows carriedby said arms in the manner described.

Firmly secured on top of the axle arch adjacent to each end of the latter is a frame I C which for convenience may be called a rack frame, each frame being composed of side members 39 which are connected together and spaced apart by rack bars 40 having teeth or projections on the front and rear sides thereof. Arranged adjacent to I the front and rear sides of the rack bars 40 and spaced therefrom are retaining rods or keepers 41, said keepers being terminally connected with the side members 39. The arms 'or levers 21, 22 by which the rock shafts 19, 20are actuated extend upwardly between the rackbars 40 and the keepers 41, and said arms 21, 22 are provided with suitable springs 42, 43 pressing against the keepers41 and thus maintaining the respective arms adj ustably in engagement with the rack bars 40, it being understood that the arms 21, 22 are possessed of a sufiicient degree of inherent resiliency to enable them to be normally held in engaging position with respect to the rack bars by the action of the springs 42, 43. By pressing the arms 21, 22 against the tension of the respective springs they may be readily temporarily released from the rack bars and utilized for the purpose of actuating the rock shafts with which they are connected. The several arms or levers 21, 22 are located in suitable proximity to the seat 44 which is mounted on the center bar 4 of the frame.

It will be seen that by the foregoing mechanism the head blocks 12 may be adjusted upwardly and downwardly, as may be desired, thereby effecting vertical adjustment of the plows which are carried by the standards associated with the arms 33 which extend through and are movable with the levers 17 that are fulcrumed upon the head blocks. When such vertical adjustment is made the pintles 32 carrying the arms 33 will move up and down in their respective sockets, as will be readily understood, thus enabling the plows to be raised from or lowered into the ground to engage the ground at such depth as may be desired. Lateral adjustment of the plows may be effected by rocking the levers 17 by means of the crank arms 26 extending from the rock shafts 20, said crank arms being provided with terminal loops 2'? engaging the levers. The plows of which there are four may thus be moved toward and from the row of plants that is to be operated upon, and the pious may be readily secured in any position to which they may be adjusted. Each plow may be adjusted independently of the remaining plows, and the several plows may thus be set and arranged in the most convenient and advantageous manner for the work in hand. It is evident that right or left hand plows may be used interchangeably on either side of the machine, and it is further desired to be understood that while each standard has been shown as carrying a single plow, a gang of two or more plows may be carried by each standard.

Suitably secured on the front end of the center bar 4 is a hound frame 45 with which the tongue 46 is pivotally connected by means of a bolt 47, said tongue being provided at its rear end with anti-friction rollers 48 engaging the top and bottom sides of a cross bar 49 that extends between the sides of the hound frame. The sides of the hound frame are provided with slots 50 in which levers 51 are fulcrumed, said levers being provided at their inner ends with eyes 52 engaging guides or keepers 53 on the sides of the tongue. The outer ends of the levers 51 are connected by rods 54 with the two on the center bar 4 in such a position as to-be conveniently operable by the feet of the op- 1 ,133,140 till erator who by means of said foot lever will be enabled to swing the tongue in an approximately horizontal plane about the axis of the bolt 47 to a sufficient extent to cause the machine to be guided in a curved instead of a straight line, as will be readily understood. This feature of the invention is found in connection with this improved cultivator to be extremely desirable in some sections of the country where the land is hilly or where for other reasons straight furrows of great length cannot conveniently be made.

i A bracket 56 which is connected with and extends downwardly from the hound frame 45 may be utilized for supporting a standard 57 carrying a center plow 58; said standard is provided with rearwardly extending arms 59 extending through a frame 60 depending from the rear end of the center bar a and having notches 61 in which said arms may be adjusted for the purpose of maintaining the center plow in ground engaging position. By throwing the arms 59 out of the notches 61 they may be lowered within the limits of the frame 60, there by swinging the center plow to a non-engaging position with respect to the ground. The arms 59 are provided with upwardly extending handles 62 extending within convenient reach of the operator. The standard 57 is provided at its upper end with an eye 63 for the passage of a bolt 64, whereby said standard may be detachably connected with the bracket 56, the latter being providecl with corresponding apertures for the passage of the bolt. When the plow carrying standard 57 is detached, a frame 65 carpying fenders 66 may be substituted thereor.

A. hopper 67 for fertilizing material has been shown supported on the center bar a of the frame structure, the sides of said hopper being apertured for the passage of a shaft 68 having radial arms 73 for the purpose of discharging the contents of the hopper through slots 74 in the bottom thereof. The shaft 68 may be driven by a transmission chain 7 0 from one of the ground wheels, and chutes or ducts 76 may be utilized to convey the fertilizing material to the ground. It will be noted that this is nothing more than a fertilizer distributing device of ordinary construction which may be conveniently used in connection with the improved cultivator.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the drawings hereto annexed, the operation and advantages of this invention will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which it appertains.

The improved machine will be found valuable and useful not only for ordinary cultivating purposes, but also for preparing the seed bed for cotton and other plants. The center plow which is used in the preparation of such seed bed may be easily and quickly mounted or detached, as may be required; when the center plow is detached, and the machine is to be used for ordinary cultivating purposes, the fender frame may be substituted, and the plants will thus be guarded from injury by clods and lumps of dirt beingthrown in the direction thereof by the action of the plows.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is z- 1. In a cultivator, an arched axle, a longitudinal center bar connected therewith, front and rear cross bars connected with the center bar, cross heads mounted on the cross bars and having downwardly extending guide rods, head blocks movably supported on the guide rods, plow carrying members associated with the head blocks, and means for vertically adjusting the head blocks and for securing them at various adjustments.

2. In a cultivator, an arched axle, a longitudinal center bar connected therewith and having front and rear cross bars,head blocks supported by the cross bars and having downwardly extending guide rods, head blocks supported for vertical movement on the guide rods, each head block having a lifting rod pivotally connected therewith, rock shafts supported for oscillation and having cranks connected with the lifting rods, and means for actuating the rock shafts andfor retaining them at various adjustments.

3. In a cultivator, a frame structure including front and rear cross bars, cross heads supported thereon and having downwardly extending guide rods, head blocks supported movably on the guide rods, each of said head blocks being provided with an orifice having a slotted bottom wall and with an overhanging flange also provided with a slot, a lever fulcrumed on the head block and having upwardly and downwardly extending arms guided through the slots, a plow carrying member actuated by and movable with the downwardly extending arm of the lever, a rock shaft having a crank arm provided with a terminal loop engaging the upwardly extending arm of the lever, and means for actuating the rock shaft and for securing it at various adjustments.

4. A cultivator having a frame structure including an arched axle, a suitably supported head block having an orifice provided with a slotted bottom wall and an overhanging flange likewise provided with a slot, a lever fulcrumed on the head block and having upwardly and downwardly extending arms guided through the slots, sockets mounted on the limbs of the arched axle, pintles supported for oscillation and for vertical movement in the sockets, said pintles having arms guided through the downxward ly extend-ingarms: of the, leversfulicrumedon'the head blocks, said, arms being equipped with plow; carrying standards,

5. In a cultivator, a, frame struetureineluding an arched axle, and front and rear cross bars, cross, heads associated with the cross bars and having downwardly extending guide rods, head blocks vertically movable on said guide rods, each. head block being provided with an orifice having a slotted: bottom-wall and with. an overhanging flange likewise provided with a slot, a lever pivoted, on the head block and having downwardly and upwardly extendingarms guided through the slots,- a plow carrying member actuated forlateral adjustment by thedownwardly extending arm of the lever, and means for actuating the lever and. for effecting vertical adjustment of the head block including rock shafts, bearing members for said rock shafts consisting of brackets secured on the arched axle, auxiliary bearings for said rock shafts consisting of stirrups depending from the cross heads, and means for actuating the rock shafts and fOr seeuringthem at various ad,- justments.

6. In a cultivator, a frame structure ineluding an arched axle and front and rear cross bars, said cross bars having vertical slots, cross heads mounted on the cross bars, each of said cross heads comprising topand bottom members and clamp bolts extending through the slots of the cross bars, guide rods extending downwardly from the cross heads, head blocks vertically adjustable on the guide rods, plow carrying members associated with the head blocks, means for effecting lateral adjustment of the plow carrying members including levers fulcrumed on the head blocks, means for actuating the levers and the efiecting vertical 7 adjustment of the head blocks including pairsaofrcck shafts, bearings for saidroek hafts consisting of brackets adj ustably connected-withthe arched axle, auxiliary bearings for, the rock shafts consisting of stirrups associated withand depending from thecrossheads, and means for actuating the rock shafts andfor securing them at various adjus en s.-

7. Ina cultivator, a frame structure, vertically adjustable head blocks, plow carrying members associated with the head blocks, means for effecting lateral adjustment of the plow carrying members and vertical adjustment of the head blocks including pairs of, rock shafts having upwardlyextending arms, rack frames mounted on the arched axle, each including side members, rack bars connecting the frame and having toothed. front and rear edges, and keepers adjacent to and spaced from the toothed edges of the rack bars, the up wardly extending arms of the rock shafts being guided between the keepers and the rack bars, and springs associated with the arms and engaging the keepers whereby said arms are normally maintained in engagement with the rack bars.

5. In a cultivator, a frame structure, a plurality of head blocks supported for vertical adjustment, plow carrying members associated with said head blocks, means for effecting lateral adjustment of the plow carrying members, a bracket associated with the frame structure in a central location midway between the sides thereof, a plow carrying standard connected pivotally and detachably with said bracket, and means associated with said standard for moving the plow carried thereby to various adjustments with respect to the surface of the ground.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

SIDNEY J. HIGGINS.

Witnesses:

G. B. Hieems, J. R. MULLINS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Batents,

Washington, D. G. 

